


The Skies Have It

by Kosho



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins, Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, F/M, Genderfluid Character, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I researched this forever, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Going to Hell, I'm Sorry, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Research, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tags May Change, What Have I Done, What Was I Thinking?, Why Did I Write This?, Witcher Inquisitor, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-01-29 21:04:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12639138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kosho/pseuds/Kosho
Summary: The world needs saving, and the one person equipped to deal with it is both the last thing anyone expects and the last thing anyone thought they'd want.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Nia is biologically female, and it may get confusing, but she will be referred to as both male, female and they/them.

Nia never expected a less than frosty reception, it was part of the territory. People were always afraid of what they didn’t understand. Hell, no one would even bother with their kind unless it was necessary, and it was  _ always _ necessary. Slay this, fetch that, find out who did this, it was always the same. Never knowing the love of a warm family, rarely, if ever making friends. Being  _ too _ good at the job meant facing a veritable eternity to watch all the people you acquaint yourself with die around you. It was a lonely existence, to be sure. For all the good one could argue was being done, even the merchants would rarely have dealings with a witcher. Forget the bars, brothels and many other establishments. Much of the job was pretty basic, kill beasts, monsters, demons. Anything strange and unusual, it was, after all, what they were created for. 

 

The rumors were fairly useful in that one way or another, contracting the services of a witcher meant that there would be payment in some form, and if they couldn’t pay the price? The ever misunderstood ways meant that they could ask for something else entirely. On at least one occasion, Nia had even been given a chicken, which admittedly didn’t last much beyond dinner. Probably not the desirable end, but hunger wins out most times, when it’s hard enough to get someone to sell you something. That day was a lucky day, seated in a small tavern that earn Nia only a small amount of notice, most too busy focusing on their cups to take notice. 

 

“What can I get you, love?” the barmaid asked. 

 

“Something wet and something hot, if you have it.” Nia answered quietly. 

 

Hers was a look Nia knew well. Not the typical worried or frightened gaze, or even the curious stare of children stopping to point at ‘the eyes’. No, this was the one that said the poor woman wasn’t entirely sure if Nia was actually male or female. The mutagens probably hadn’t helped in that regard, but in every way, Nia sort of fell just in between. Androgynous and flat chested enough to make people really have to guess at it, but decent enough in the looks department to get some less than awful company at times. After a few moments, she shuffled off, returning with a steaming bowl and a flagon of mead. 

 

“Here y’are…sir?” she said almost questioningly. 

 

Rare for someone to use such formality, but not unwelcome. “Sir is fine. Or miss, either way.” 

 

If anything, it only made her more curious. Instead of entertaining the question, Nia busied herself with the soup, trying not to scarf it down, but it was hard when the last thing she had was three days before, save the concoctions made for battle, and an attempt to poison her a day prior. No point in that, one thing that wasn’t just a fairy story was how hard it was to actually kill a witcher. If the scars on her body said anything, it was a canvas that painted how many times people were bold enough to try, but the wounds had mended fast enough to leave behind only the scars as memory, poisons passed through harmlessly, and many a mage was too slow to match the speed Nia could achieve without breaking a sweat. Conversely, to kill a human, if that was ever the goal could be as easy as making them drink one of their potions, they’d be dead quicker than they could say ‘I feel just fine.’

 

“I assume my coin is as welcome here as theirs?” Nia asked quietly, jerking a thumb towards the other patrons. “If not, we may have a problem.” 

 

“Coin is fine, but you look like you could use a warm bed to rest up in.” She observed cautiously. 

 

Well, this was interesting. Not that some hadn’t taken a decent interest in the fabled libido and stamina their kind was thought to have, and it certainly wasn’t a lie. If anything, Nia thought of that as a downside. On top of being shunned, at times openly attacked, scraping by on the most meager means often, and on top of that all, insurmountable desire with a hair trigger and no outlet. 

 

“Throw in a hot bath and you have my interest.” Nia muttered. 

 

The Ferelden climate wasn’t one he’d acclimated to yet, hotter places were more his style. Nia was born in Seheron, and it was there, hidden away in the jungles where she underwent her metamorphosis, where her clan had lived and died without ever meeting her. The story she had been told was that her life was the payment for saving her mother. They said she had been retrieved under cover of night the same night, and raised among his brothers. Later Nia had learned his entire clan had succumbed to a plague around twenty years after. Not like they’d remember a person they’d never have seen anyway. Most of the others that she was trialed with hadn’t survived, herself and two other boys, both of whom she hadn’t heard from in years. Finishing his drink, he watched the woman sway up the stairs, glancing back to see if Nia was following. That was something that never had to cross his mind, an essentially flawless immune system meant never having to wonder if someone had something, no embarrassing visits to healers with a clearly made up story. 

 

Initially, it was business that brought him this far out anyway. He’d barely got a foot on shore when someone approached him with an offer. The man had claimed to see demons heading this way, and that there was a gathering of sorts going on soon enough. The concern was in a possible interruption if things weren’t seen to quickly. So far there hadn’t been a thing of note, no trails to follow, nothing out of the ordinary. Still, he’d poke around more thoroughly before and during the meeting to be sure and then report back. Nothing to kill just meant easy coin. Or possibly a goat, whatever he had wasn’t a bother either way. At least a goat would make for a decent meal and the furs could help in repairing and upgrading his armor. The barmaid left to ostensibly change into something comfortable, but returned undressed as he’d come to expect of these things. It only seemed to finally hit her when Nia shucked off his breeches, and the bits she’d expected hadn’t come into view. 

 

“You’re a woman?” she asked. 

 

“If you like. Labels don’t concern me.” Nia shrugged. “I have plenty without adding more.” Seeing the look she gave her, Nia shrugged again. “It’s all the same to me. If you haven’t changed your mind, I’ll take it from here.” 

 

This was nothing new. At the end of the day, asking for romance seemed impossible, and those willing to deal with the whispers after were usually plenty content to make it little more than a quick tryst before parting ways, men and women alike. More than once he’d been a first in plenty of ways, it was at least some sort of distraction to break up the same routines. If that was the goal this time, fate would not disappoint…

 

Nia emerged from the bath, rubbing furiously at his chin length white-blonde hair, crossing the room to gather his clothes and get dressed. Managing to fasten the leather strings tightly, he got his arms into the sleeves before a group of angry voices broke the silence. 

 

“Finally caught up to you!” A woman barked. “Grab him.” 

 

Hastily slipping into the rest of his armor, he left his swords sheathed, pushing the few soldiers back, taking only a moment to signal a block, stopping the attempt to attack. Another few gestures, and all but the woman and her companion were left awake. 

 

“What manner of abomination are you?” she asked warily. 

 

The other woman leaned closer, blocking her mouth with her hands as though he couldn’t already hear well enough without the added measures to stifle his hearing. 

 

“Cassandra, he’s a witcher…” she mumbled. 

 

Cassandra sheathed her blade, drawn to make an attack had her guards not went down without a struggle, peacefully snoring around her. Her eyes fixed on his, glaring daggers at him, though he couldn’t be bothered to feel any threat from her. Many had tried to claim his life, and many had failed, escaping usually only with their lives. The job description was to help, at the end of the day and killing fools wasn’t generally a part of that. 

 

“Miss, you forgot your…” the woman called, halting abruptly. “Have I interrupted?” 

 

Nia reached for her long discarded cape, nodding a quick thank you. The woman quickly rushed downstairs again, eager to let him solve his business. 

 

“Miss? You’re a woman? I thought women couldn’t be witchers?” Cassandra asked suspiciously. 

 

“It’s certainly rare enough, I’m the only I’ve seen in some time, but others at all are a rare enough sight, wouldn’t you say?” Nia countered. “You had questions or you’d have let me go. What do you want from me?” 

 

“The mark on your hand. Does it have anything to do with the explosion at the Conclave?” the other woman asked.

 

“This? How the hell should I know? I haven’t concerned myself with it, it’s not actively causing anything besides an annoying little ache. I didn’t even know there was an explosion, I just remember blacking out for a moment, and then coming here.” he said with a shrug. 

 

“If you didn’t do anything wrong, why did you run?” Cassandra asked accusingly. 

 

“I saw demons falling from the sky. You’re telling me you wouldn’t run to a safer place to regroup?” he suggested. 

 

“This is how you regroup?” she snorted. 

 

“Now you chastise my needs. Do you even know what you sought me out to ask?” he challenged wearily. “You’ve told me less than nothing about why you bothered to hunt me down. Make it good, you’ll not hold me otherwise.” 

 

The other woman took over, realizing her amateur inquiries were no match for someone so accustomed to a life of being treated the way they did. 

 

“Forgive my friend. She can be a bit brash. Surely you’ve seen the Breach in the sky?” she began. 

 

“That obnoxious light in the sky? Aye, I’ve seen it.” she confirmed. “What does that have to do with me?” 

 

“We have our suspicions the mark on your hand can close it. We meant to take you into custody and explain it properly, but I see the rumors of your kinds’ hardiness and speed were not lies. We assumed you’d be out for a time, where we could properly study it.” she said. 

 

“Yes, well...getting involved in something like that isn’t my usual business. Part of the code, you understand.” Nia began, it sounded like trouble. 

 

Another figure ascended the steps, an elven man following a few steps behind. A mage by the looks of it. Nia had to wonder if this one could hold a candle to the mages of past encounters. The war between the mages and Templars had long put Nia directly in the path of both sides, and while he’d tried to avoid it where possible, it had been necessary to fight on occasion. The Dwarf at the front however, he knew him. He’d taken up in Kirkwall for a time, but left shortly before tensions with the Qunari had broken out. He’d tried out the city for a little over a year, before moving on to Starkhaven, and from there, he spent time in Antiva, where he was surprised to find he was largely welcome, but the work had been dry, thanks entirely to the Crows. 

 

“Varric. You’re looking well.” Nia commented. 

 

“Long time, no see. You haven’t changed a bit. Actually...you look suspiciously the same as ever.” he said, appraising her curiously. 

 

“Please, it’s only been about seven years, you can’t expect me to change that much in such a short time.” Nia shrugged. 

 

Thanks again to the mutations, despite being what normal humans considered older, in the lifespan capacity, she had a good shot at several hundred more years to look forward to. Seven years was barely a blink in time for one who lived that long. 

 

“You two are acquainted?” Cassandra groaned. 

 

“Kirkwall is a fairly big city, people meet all the time. It’s not that strange. I actually hired him to help me with a few problems back then. He’s good at what he does.” Varric said. 

 

“This whole situation is confusing.” Cassandra muttered. “Are you male or female?”

 

Nia sighed heavily. “As we’ve covered, I am female in body. I was raised around men, I am accustomed to being addressed as such, but I don’t care for pronouns either way. If you need me, let’s talk compensation. If not, you’ve taken much and more of my time, I could be doing something far more entertaining.” 

 

Leliana wasn’t truly in a position to bargain, but there wasn’t much they could offer him that he might find worthwhile. 

 

“Help us close the Breach, and I can guarantee your freedom.” she said. 

 

“Not interested. As I said, if I desired to get away, there’s not much that could stop me. Try again.” Nia disagreed.

 

“What is it you want?” she wondered. 

 

“How about this. You say you need me...is it urgent enough for you to offer me whatever I choose? I’ll take my payments later, no complaining. If not, I’ll take my leave now.” Nia suggested. 

 

“Leliana, don’t…” Cassandra muttered. “You know the things  _ they _ ask for…” 

 

“We need him. We don’t have any other choices.” Leliana said. “Very well. Whatever your price is, it will be dealt with when the Breach is no longer a threat.” 

 

Nia held a gloved hand out to her, and she took it without hesitation. Shaking on it, he jerked his head towards the window. 

 

“Guessing we’re heading back the way I came. We shouldn’t waste any time. Unless you’d rather stay back, whatever is up there, I’m certain I can handle it alone. Never had much trouble before.” Nia said. 

 

“It’s true. I heard he killed a dragon by himself. No exaggerations this time, he’s the real deal.” Varric agreed. 

 

“Which one? I’ve crossed paths with a few in my time. There are plenty around for all the complaints I hear about how people never see them.” he said. 

 

“The Breach is not something you can flail a sword at. I don’t care if you  _ can _ kill a dragon, that isn’t what we asked of you.” Cassandra complained. 

 

The group struggled to keep track of his movements, so quick on his feet it almost appeared as if he were teleporting over short distances, but that clearly wasn’t the case, he was just  _ that _ fast. Yet another tale that appeared to be confirmed. 

 

“You’re just full of sunshine, aren’t you, Lady Cassandra?” he grunted, pulling himself up a rocky ledge. “You sure you wouldn’t rather stay behind?” 

 

“Now I remember why I like this guy. Look at that straight face, not even a hint of a grin after a thing like that. Classic.” Varric laughed. 

 

“Mage. What do you do?” he asked. “I can plan better with a little knowledge.” 

 

“Solas, if you would.” he corrected. “I don't do much a normal mage can't do. I'm fairly proficient with barriers.” 

 

That was unexpected, plenty of mages were insistent they were something special, that their fire burned hotter, their ice froze so well it chilled and burned at the same time, the mages of the circles here seemed so oppressed they desired little more than recognition, but others were angry, bitter. Beyond that, they still didn't hold a candle to the best one's he'd had the chance to meet. The best could easily live as long as the best witchers, the famed Asha’bellanar was said to be one such example. Not the only one, only the best known. 

 

“Barriers, huh? Useful enough I guess.” He sighed. “I'm guessing you have others up there?” 

 

“Yes, the commander of our forces and as many soldiers as could be spared. Most were injured trying to keep the demons from getting too close.” Leliana said. 

 

“Let me guess, greener than spring grass?” Nia asked. 

 

“Right again. Many are eager to help where they can, to find out if there's something more than tending a family farm or the like.” Leliana explained.

 

There was something different about her, seemed to know more than she was willing to say, didn't give talking to him any extra thought, whereas even Cassandra was plainly uncomfortable about who they were turning to for help. The Maker worked in strange and mysterious ways, but this barely felt like divine providence...


	2. Chapter 2

Nia rolled onto his back, staring up at the sky before glancing down. On the fucking roof, of course. The Breach was still there, but that was hardly the bigger problem at the moment. It looked like the entire village was gathered nearby, talking about something, hard to tell what, it all sounded gibberish at the moment, and every sound pounded in his ears. He remembered there was a demon, big one too, not much of a problem, but the Breach failed to close entirely, and it was Leliana who suggested they fall back and consider other aid, too powerful to deal with alone. The way back had been filled with suspect silence, and...not much after that, but it must have involved a trip to the tavern a short trip down the path. Better still, he vaguely recalled that Leliana had told the barkeep to serve him, and if this was any indication, Flissa definitely kept them coming. 

 

“The hell is my boot?” Nia grumbled. 

 

Somehow that had fallen off the roof, and was toppled over in front of the door. Could have been worse, usually it was. Nia leapt down, hissing at the way it seemed to echo violently in his head, retrieving his lost boot and yanking it back on before heading towards the chantry. Probably the best bet of finding someone to explain what exactly he was supposed to do now. Not very surprising that what few clerics remained backed away on sight, bowing their heads like they were in the presence of a demon themselves. It wasn’t hard to tell where Cassandra was, arguing loudly with someone else, a man it sounded like. Not that that was a woman that needed saving, and the sound alone was loud enough to wake the dead, not something he’d like to involve himself in, but he had a deal. He pushed the door open as quietly as he could manage, the argument faltering for a moment. He had met the man at a small camp on the mountain, if his recollection wasn’t completely off. Rotter? Redder? Something with an R...Roderick, that was it. Nia only had to look at him before he fell completely silent and rushed out. 

 

“Guess it pays to be the freak at times…” he shrugged. 

 

He kicked out a chair, crossing his arms over the back and resting his brow on them with an unenthusiastic sigh. Cassandra was in the process of explaining something that sounded important before she took note of the woman’s condition. 

 

“You’re drunk!” she spat. 

 

“Not true. I was drunk  _ yesterday _ .” Nia corrected. 

 

“I thought you people couldn’t get drunk.” she said skeptically. 

 

“Our bodies undergo plenty of changes to accommodate our way of life, our abilities, the way we fight. My liver can handle and metabolize things that would absolutely kill you in minutes, if even that long. What it doesn’t do is process alcohol so quickly, so  _ yes _ . I do still find pleasure in drinking. One of very few things that haven’t been ruined for me.” Nia muttered in explanation. 

 

It was muffled, she still hadn’t bothered to raise her head, not until the door opened loudly and several other figures entered the room. All but one seemed familiar. 

 

“Well, while we have your attention, you may as well familiarize yourself with those you’ll be working closely with.” she sighed. “You already know Leliana.” 

 

Nia raised a hand in a halfhearted attempt to wave, to which she smiled and nodded just a bit. Cassandra gestured to the other woman. “This is our ambassador, Josephine Montilyet.” 

 

She was a looker too. Pretty little thing that smiled instead of trying to add space between them. This place had some promise after all. Though by the look of the quill and portable writing desk she carried, that one was all business. A real shame. It was the man among them that Nia was most surprised to see. He smiled too, until he got a good look, then he hung his head, his face flushing up to his ears. He knew  _ that _ reaction too. 

 

“This is our commander, who you met briefly on the mountain, Cullen.” Cassandra said. 

 

“Cullen, as in Knight-Captain of Kirkwall?” Nia asked. 

 

“ _ Former. _ I’ve left both title and Templars behind.” he clarified quietly.

 

“You know each other then?” Cassandra asked, a little surprised. 

 

“We’ve met, yes.” Cullen said. 

 

I’ve taken my fair share of blows to the head, rattled my brain a bit. I know I’ve met him before, but I can’t quite remember what it is that might cause him to look that way. I’m tempted to believe it was actually Varric that put us in proximity of each other before anyway, something about helping him out a little. Was it mages or Templars that needed tracking? Must have been something else about it. If he wasn’t still trying to quiet the roaring in his skull, he might have pointed out just how handsome he was. To the tune of wanting to give him a test run, but as it stood it was shitty enough to have to listen to her droning on and on. 

 

“So what’s the plan?” He asked, cutting her off.

 

“We’d like you to head for the Hinterlands, track down a woman by the name of Giselle, a mother. She has some information that might help when you head for Val Royeaux.” Leliana said. 

 

“Val Royeaux? Did I know about that?” he asked. 

 

“Right, you’re still a suspect, technically, and it is there where they wish to execute you, but for the moment, we instead would like to - “ Leliana explained. 

 

“I’m not going to Val Royeaux.” Nia said flatly. “That wasn’t part of our arrangement, and as I said, I  _ am _ willing to leave you to it.” 

 

“You don’t have a choice in the matter.” Cassandra says. 

 

“Don’t I?” Nia questioned with a grin. 

 

“Cassandra, don’t rile him up. Or did you already forget how long it took us to find him. He was close by, imagine if he had a head start and a reason to walk out. It would take far longer than we have to track him again.” Leliana reminded her. “Unfortunately, if you want to be able to move about freely, Val Royeaux will be a necessary evil. I’m certain even meeting with the clerics there won’t fully remove suspicion, but you can erase some of it, enough that perhaps we can begin to consider an alliance to help with closing the Breach for good. Do remember, we agreed on that much, the Breach is dealt with and you’re free to ask for whatever it is you wish.”

 

Nia hadn’t forgotten that. If she insisted that this was a necessary step, Leliana was definitely the one she’d trust on the matter. Still. That meant dealing with Orlesians, and if they weren’t more obnoxious than anyone she’d met, it would have been a fairly easy sell. Far be it from friendly, most of the shops had refused to sell to witchers, the taverns and cafes closed their doors, and even the brothels refused. Orlesians were said to be very free in that regard, they served most as long as they had the coin and did things the common man couldn’t begin to imagine, but one glance had them ripping out the welcome mat. At least that’s the picture that had been painted for him by one of the very few other witchers he’d chanced to come across. Orlesian himself, name was...what was it? Sylvain, that sounded about right.

 

“Fine, and what will helping this mother accomplish towards your goal?” Nia asked. 

 

“Giselle may be able to provide some insights as to how to go about this meeting in a manner that is most favorable to you.” Josephine says. 

 

It would be so much easier to ignore that and forget about it if she wasn’t so…”Good, fine, whatever. I’ll set off first thing in the morning.” 

 

“You’ll set off now.” Cassandra growled. 

 

Nia had only to look at Leliana before she was again reminding her that they had to work with him if this was going to have a chance of succeeding.  

 

“I’ll tell you what. If it’s that big of problem to wait it out, give me a few hours at least and then I’ll go.” Nia sighed. 

 

“Three hours.” she relented.

 

“That’s enough.” he agreed. 

 

At the end of the day, so long as the job got done, it was a free pass to anything he could think of, not a bad trade off, really. Of course at the moment, they had nothing he could think of that he might want. He’d already overheard the coin was plenty scarce. No horses, no weapons worth hauling around, and the food was shit too. This was going to require a lot of thought to make it worthwhile. The end of the world wasn’t exactly a frightening prospect. If he didn’t somehow live through that too, then what did it matter, death itself wasn’t a matter to be afraid of. 

 

“If that’s all for now, I think I’ll have a bath and a short nap while I have the time.” Nia said, excusing himself. 


	3. Chapter 3

The business with the  Mothers was handled rather quickly, and Nia had initially believed that was the end of their business in Val Royeaux. Stupidly easy, one quick sign and they’d entirely forgotten why they’d called the city to listen in the first place. Added as a benefit was the ease with which running a hand through her hair had been enough to convince the Seeker that nothing had happened out of the ordinary. They’d followed a mysterious trail, beginning with an arrow and met up with the weirdest elf Nia had ever met. Seemed put off at first by the ears, but that disappeared in a quick flurry of questions. Why were her eyes like that, could she really not feel pain, was it true Witchers didn’t feel emotions and a host of other questions before she caved and said she could join the Inquisition as a means to bribe her silence for just a few moments. 

 

A quick meeting with the Grand Enchanter, and Nia assumed they’d be leaving, until a robe presented her with an invitation. Madame de Fer? Never heard of her. She’d have gladly left right then if the reminders that they should take aid where it was given wasn’t a nagging reminder that she’d accepted a contract of sorts, much as she’d rather stick to the original spirit of said contract, this was still a part of that. 

 

“I hate parties.” Nia said after the courier left. 

 

“I thought you of all people would enjoy them.” Cassandra commented.

 

“And why would you think that?” she asked. 

 

“You claim your kind are shunned by nearly everyone. Everyone makes way when the Witcher rolls into their city, that much is no secret. Few would keep company with you on the basis of what you are.” she said. 

 

“That might be true. Politics are involved in these things. Power and influence buys you everything. I try to stay out of it, but in places like these? It’s just the opposite. They’ll feign interest, try to be my best friend and act like they know me for a little advantage over a perceived enemy. They drip with dishonesty and backstabbing. I’ll go, this Madame de Fer must have had a good reason for purposely seeking me out, after all. Wouldn’t hurt to see why. Let’s hope it’s brief.” Nia explained. 

 

Making their way to the location, a man at the door announced their presence, and nearly right away, Nia was swarmed by nobles. Rather than engage in conversation or attempt to retrieve her from her current predicament, Varric, Solas and Cassandra stood by the wall, taking drinks when they were offered by a passing servant. 

 

“You have the most intriguing eyes I’ve ever seen.” a man remarked. 

 

“Thanks.” Nia grunted. 

 

“You’re built well for an elf.” another commented, curiously squeezing her arm. “So much muscle, yet still quite lean.” 

 

Nia resisted the urge to punch him, forcing a smile. “Thank you. I spend a lot of time fighting. It tends to happen.” 

After a brief debacle involving a chevalier, Nia seemed to be spared the minor pleasantries, Madame de Fer herself retrieving her from the impenetrable wall of people around her. 

 

“So. Varric...you actually know her?” Cassandra asked curiously. 

 

“I do.” Varric said. “About seven years ago, we met. Around the time Hawke first arrived, word had came in from all over Kirkwall and outside, lots of monsters, demons, bandits, you name it. Found her in the Hanged Man. We had something of a partnership going. City needed help, the kind of help a Witcher could give, and so I kept her busy, Hawke in turned kept  _ me _ busy. She stuck around for a while then moved on. You might try asking Curly, he gave her some work too, as I understand it. Sure she had some work for him too.” 

 

He chuckled more to himself at the end. Cassandra raised an eyebrow at that. “Did you notice the odd way he acts around her?” 

 

Varric waved his free hand. “Very few people would admit to even speaking to a Witcher, let alone...ah, look. There she is.” 

 

Nia looked completely composed, but it was a front to hide the annoyance bubbling up under the surface. Still holding that forced smile, she gestured to the woman following her. 

 

“Madame de Fer would like to join us in Haven.” she said. 

 

“Does that mean we can leave now?” Varric asked dryly. 

 

“Yes, I suppose this was the last matter we had to see to…” Cassandra agreed. 

 

“Go on ahead, my dear. I’ll head out in the morning.” Vivienne said. 

 

Nia bowed politely, trying hard not to dash for the door at the first opportunity. She kept a measured pace all the way to the gates, before puffing out a heavy breath. 

 

“Have you attended many salons then?” Solas asked curiously. 

 

“I try my damndest not to. That said, I’ve been to a few.” Nia admitted. 

 

“There’s a certain appeal to them.” Solas commented.

 

“If you say so. Free drinks and occasionally you might get lucky. Those are about the only perks I can see.” Nia said flatly. 

 

“That seems far too casual.” Cassandra muttered. 

 

“I’ve made peace with the fact that I’ll outlive most of the people I know. Would you rather I pointlessly involve myself in some deeply romantic situation, get attached and then spend hundreds of years grieving the loss of  _ one _ person? I can’t catch anything, I’ll never have children, and I’m scary enough to most people that I’m lucky if I don’t get booted out the minute the deed is done.” Nia argued. 

She fell silent for a time, in fact, a silence had fallen over all of them for a while. Finally, Cassandra spoke up, opting not to address the answer she’d been given. 

 

“We should make camp. The sun is setting.” she observed. 

 

“Well, I suppose I could stand to mix up a few potions. See what I can make with what I have.” Nia sighed. “I’ll keep watch as well.” 

 

“We’ll switch off.” Cassandra suggested. 

 

“Seeker, she doesn’t need to sleep. They can, but they don’t need to.” Varric said. 

 

“That can’t be true.” She snorted. 

 

“It’s true. As he said, I could sleep. There’s little point right now, however. Someone needs to keep watch, and I would be the wisest option. I can resupply myself and you can rest up, in addition, should anything desire to attack, I’ll know.” Nia replied. 

 

“I’d be willing to keep you company for a bit.” Varric offered. 

 

“Oh, are you finally going to let me see that legendary chest hair up close and personal?” she teased. 

 

“I was thinking more like catching up. Besides, you know Bianca is the jealous type.” Varric told her. 

 

“Is she ever. Still ruining my fun seven years later. Oh well.” Nia said. 

 

She held a hand over her chest, wiping away tears that just weren’t there, feigning like it hurt to hear. He knew better though, Solas seemed to be aware of that too, whether Cassandra ever figured it out too would be something to see later. 

 

“Let me ask you something serious though…” Varric said. “Why didn’t you stick around? Could have really used your help.” 

 

“Well...I mean, it’s the co-” she began. 

 

“Don’t bullshit me about the code.” Varric said. “Look...you don’t have to answer right now, but I’d really like to know the answer.” 

 

“You really want to know?” Nia asked. 

 

“I would.” Varric confirmed with a nod. 

 

“It was a combined effort. Started getting too close. That, and Hawke’s other thief friend told me the best thing for everyone would be if I left. Monsters gone, there was no need for me around. Just so happened my affliction hit a peak at that time, so I decided to move on. Had I known then what was going to happen, I’d have come back. By the time word reached me, and I’d thought to return, it was already over. No point.” Nia said. 

 

“So you had a little case of butterflies for someone and that was all it took?” Varric asked. 

 

“I take it you’re upset by that.” Nia said. 

 

“No. I’m plenty of things, but I can understand that one. Strange how a little happiness chases people off.” Varric observed with a sigh.

 

“In my case, it’s probably for the best. Knew someone once. Still did his job, but decided to get married, settle down. He wasn’t what we’d consider old or anything, but he’d pissed off the wrong people by marrying her, and next thing you know, his wife, Maria, is strung up in the village square, as a warning. They murdered her to hurt him, and blamed it on him. He ran, made a new life somewhere else, but that changed him. Even if I were selfish enough to decide to settle like that, I couldn’t possibly be alright putting others at risk for it.” Nia said. 

 

Varric said nothing immediately, fishing around in his coat pocket, withdrawing a flask. He handed it over with a slow nod. “I can understand that, actually. No more sad shit though. Let’s play a game.” 

 

“Is it the one where we look at something and make people guess?” Nia sighed. 

 

“As I recall you  _ liked _ that game.” Varric muttered. 

 

“It’s a fine way to sharpen observational skills. What’s not to like?” she asked. 

 

“Well? You start. Wouldn’t be fair for me to crush you right off, after all.” Varric offered. 

 

“Confident as ever. You haven’t changed much either.” she told him. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter turned out a little bland. Certain points, I've just written so much of that it's difficult to tell if it's different enough from my other works. ;3; Better chapters to come.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, i just want to say I did a ton of research on this. I know by the books a female witcher isn't considered canon, but apparently there were some mentions of elven witchers and in the tabletop rpg which is said to be canon of a sort also included female witchers. Basically, to my understanding, the result ends up the same, but the process is altered slightly to make it possible to survive for females. I didn't want to go cheap here, so I thought of making up a school for this, but considering the plot of Inquisition, I thought it appropriate to go with Wolf. Wolf vs. Wolf (okay, maybe not so clever...)


End file.
